Planning: How the Music Industry use Social Networking sites

The media is becoming a powerful source in which numerous people can become famous by. There are many examples of existing artists that used social networking sites to distribute their voices and personality.

Lily Allen is a famous example of promoting demos of The Fear on her Myspace account. She recalls her inspiration of the song of the culture of wanting material things, along with fame and fortune. She also mentioned that another inspiration came from her seeing a little girl with high waisted  hot pants and crop top. After seeing this girl, Lilly Allen assumed she will be the type of girl to audition for X Factor when shes older, and seek fame.  The was basically reflects this mentality that alot of individuals hold.


Current stars like Jessie J have made their  popularity through YouTube. Even though she attended Brit School ( a performing arts institution) and was part of a group, the band headed down hill, so Jessie J decided to promote herself on You Tube to get recognized. As YouTube is a global site that is visited my millions every single day, there was no doubt that she was going to get noticed.

 Azealia Banks took her stage as she rose on Twitter. She was formally dropped by her previous label XL Recordings. She began releasing Mix tapes on Twitter. One of which was the '212' song, which was a free digital download on December 6th  2011. Though unsigned, she still manged to feature in many other artists featuring in their songs (Scissor Sisters track featured Azealia Banks).

Promoting artists is a crucial part in the music industry. Here is a link on Kate Nash's Facebook page, where she shares her interviews, magazines appearances and videos. http://www.facebook.com/katenash?fref=ts

This twitter Link is for X Factor contestant Jade Ellis. Her twitter account is used to promote her image  personality and gain more people who will support her, as an upcoming artist.https://twitter.com/jadaface101

When creating a tie-ins between social networking and our artists, I will use pictures and videos to promote the artist, so that it feels as though she is keeping in close contact with her followers.  The social networking sites that I plan on promoting the new artist is Facebook , twitter and YouTube  because these are the main and most popular social networking at this present time, and will gain more recognition if using these sites. The sites will be made on Photoshop, to see whether our artists will suit the theme of the social networking site. 

Skills Audit

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Planning: Animatic

This is a brief animatic of our storyboard using a little model, this will also be included in our pitch.

Planning: Storyboard

Media Audiences- teenagers and how they are influenced?

media audiences on Prezi

Planning: Moodbored - Hair Styles

If I am the performer, then I will go for longer and glamours curls. If Nabilla is the performer, then she will style her hair in a short crop, with some shots pulled back, and another shoot, the hair will be let loose (as demonstrated from above).

Planning: Moodbored Target Audience/ Artists Inspiration

Planning: Moodbored Fashion/Locations

Planning: Moodboard Mock up

Planning: Brand image for Kate Nash (Twitter Page)

This is Kate Nash's twitter page. As you can see, she is advertising her gig on the back page of  her twitter page. She simply tweets any updates on her album or concert tickets, or perhaps even asks her followers  what they have been up to, so that she can create a rapport with her followers. By doing so, she will be able to receive increasing number of album sales or gig tickets, because of her constant interaction with her fans.

The twitter page exposes the brand image which is :indie, old school/ vintage. This is portrayed by her 1950's inspired hairstyle and makeup, and the fact that the picture is in black and white, which creates that old school feel. Her image reflects her genre of music which is cross between indie pop. The targeted audience for Kate Nash based on this image is young adults (17- 24) with a distinctive dress sense.

This has inspired me for when we create our own website. The website will reflect the music video (vintage alleyways  regents park) and will be as a back image for our own website. The mise-en-scene

Planning: 4 Music Video Influences

This video by Nicola Roberts is set in the streets of New York City.  The scenery includes trees, American Taxis and apartment homes. This strongly links with the music video we want to construct because the music is outside, which gives a more 'refreshing' and 'quirky' feel to the music video. The targeted audience vastly would to this music video because they are mostly likely to be out and about, exploring London, or any other city on earth. Furthermore, Nicola Roberts dress is very attractive and colourful, which again links with the type of dress code the targeted audience will wear. The colour of the music video has been saturated  to make it more brighter and enhance the 'open air' feel.  Performance is a strong key to this music video, which allows it to be less structured and give a sense of 'freedom' and 'peaceful'.  The ideas mentioned will be used in our own music video,  to achieve a similar format. The obvious edits allow the music video to be more appealing towarsd the audience and add 'fun' to the music video - which we will use in our own music video to achieve the same theme.

This video by VV Brown is all about embracing the outside world, which again links with the similarities, the targeted audience will have. Fashion is portrayed as being the motif in this video. Also, we see VV Brown riding a bike, which highlights the travel used by the targeted audience. The ideas we will use is the fashion and the pan of the streets. We will also use the rage of camera shots in this music video (tracking, low angle  show, medium shot etc) t help expose the settings and the artist - to allow the audience to identify what this artist is like.  During the opening, the camera moves in time with  the music, allow the fourth wall to be broken. Both music videos are an example disjunction/amplification - which we will take on board.

This video focuses on art, fashion and site seeing - which are key elements in our music video and most importantly aimed at our target audience because they share the same interest . Paloma Faith dresses in a way that is striking and quirky.  Most of the filming was on green screen (New York) and in the interior. We will focus on filming on the exterior, make the music video more attractive and relate able towards the audience.  

This music video fits well with our 'animated' theme, as the video looks like a moving scrapbook. Our targeted audience would love the creativity in this music, so thats why we have decided to use animation in our music video. I especially like the picture cut outs at the beginning  as it provides deeper meaning to the lyrics 'beautiful girls, all over the world". It may mean that the fact that they are picture cut outs, its all a fantasy, a dream and all the girls he is with are not real. When we use animation, we want it to provider a deeper mean or amplify the lyrics. For example, when Kate Nash says "my finger tips are holding on to the cracks in our foundation@ we could use animation of a flower petal falling one by one, to signify sadness.

Planning: Analysis of Original Music Video

Analysis of orginal music video from zaiba1995

Planning: Final song choice & Artist History

Our final song choice is Kate Nash - Foundations. We have chosen this song because we feel we can do a lot with it. For example, we were thinking of using a motif from the original video which is, the mini animations (toothbrushes, socks, watches etc). We were also thinking using an old school/vintage background for our music video to match the genre of the music (which is indie pop). Also, a fun environment with teenagers messing about could be good for this song. We think there is a lot to do with this video and we are excited about creating something original. 

Here is the website of Kate Nash's biography 
 http://www.aceshowbiz.com/celebrity/kate_nash/biography.html

Planning: YouTube Helps!

So I was browsing around to 'enlighten' my knowledge of constructing a music video in order to produce a brilliant quality music video and came across this MV tutorial. This tutorial is a re- cap for me on how to manage the filiming equipment and so fourth. I found it very useful to watch this tutorial on top of having  the skills I learnt during AS as It would allow me to feel fully prepared in creating a well structured and well filmed music video.

Planning: Prep work on Music Video

Things to think about while making a music video on Prezi

Planning: Skills Audit

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Planning: Shortlist of songs for music video

Sam and the Womp - Bom Bom
Amy Winehouse - Tears Dry On Their Own

Kate Nash - Foundations

Joss Stone - Man's World (cover)

Florence and the Machine - Spectrum (Calvin Harris remix)

Here are all the potential songs for our music video. The song choices are variable, some are fast up beat and some are slow. This is to have a wider choice of songs. The first significant song choice is Sam and the Womp - Bom Bom.  This song  is an example of a illustration/disjunction, as the lyrics can not be replicated into a deeper meaning. However, there are of visual elements that could be experimented with the music track (e.g quirky settings, bold colours, attractive mise-en-scene) because of the upbeat tempo and unusual lyrics. 

The second significant song choice is Kate Nash - Foundations. The lyrics can easily be replicated and can give the music video are more 'natural' feel. This includes providing a deeper meaning behind the content of the music video. Also,  the visual ideas I have In mind will match the music video - with camera shots of a normal teenage life e.g mocking around, getting ready to go out and hanging out with friends. 

Research: Lip syncing task & Practice editts

In today's task, we had to re - edit a students music video and practice syncing the track with the video, and attempt to edit to the rythmn of the music track. Overall, I think this enhanced my knowledge of how to sync music properly and experiment with the base tracks. I learnt that if you have a lot of strong base tracks, it would be easier to cut, crop and change bits around and make a very effective music video.  I am happy the way that I managed to sync the music track successfully, and I also managed to edit at the rythmn of the track too. 

Here is a screen shot of the editing process. As you can see, the red markers were a crucial part of the lip syncing as it gave me the oppotunity to make more frequent edits and easier to manages all the base tracks. Also,  the screen with the 'sound - lines' helped me to minimize the chances of an error occurring with lip syncing. All the elements that I learnt today will help me to construct my own music video and make it look professional.

Research: Lip-sync exercise

As part of a warm up/introduction exercise, we used Final Cut Pro to do a lip-sync task. We were given footage from a previous groups work and we had to lay the base tracks down in sync with the track of the song.
To begin with I marked onto the track where the singing actually begins so its easier to match it to the footage. Then i picked 3 different pieces of the same footage which were shot in different locations, and  marked where the singing actually starts. After that, I put all the footage together with the music track, and put them together so that the markings were in a straight line. When I was happy with the syncing of the music to the footage, I began to cut. I left the bottom track alone so that it can act as the base track for this song. I also made sure I cut to the beat so that the video flowed nicely. In the end, the music video synced well and the lip singing/edits were in time to the music.


Screen grabs of editing:

Planning: Reflection on progress

Here is Natalie and Zaiba talking about how far we are with our blogging and what is to come.

Practise: Re- editing previous music video

During our media session with Dan, we began learning how to edit a music video and make it in sync with the music. For the editing, we used Final Cut Pro and used a previous A2 music video to edit. What I learnt during this process was if you use many locations, you can edit this and make the music video switch from different places, making the music video appear much better. The locations used in this music video. were a park and field which could reinforce the genre of the music video. Below you will find a series of images of how I edited: 

These screen shots indicate my editing of the footage, in which I gathered three different types of openings that started at the word "breathe",  I then had to make sure it fitted appropriately with the song. After this, I split each of the three footages at different places and then cut it, I then brought the remaining clips together an got my final edit. Once I finished my editing, I converted my file into MPEG. What I learnt from this task, was that to make editing much easier the singer shouldn't mime but sing so that the lip syncing will run in time with the music.

Research: State of the music Industry in 2012

The pictures show the hierarchy of the music industry state. At this moment, the Big 3 have control over the music industry and are in charge of production, distribution and consumption. Big changes have taken place in the music industry. In 2012, here are some the changes that have taken place:

.360 degree deals are becoming part of the contract. This includes touring, and acting.

.Music Industry is losing money through illegal downloading for e.g such as Lime Wire - a peer-to-peer file sharing soft ware opened to the public in May 3rd 2000. It released  spy ware (a virus that makes computer perform very slowly) which was illegal. Pirate Bay is a Swedish file sharing programme which made  millions through illegal downloading. Both software have shut down.

.More digital sales are being made.

. Purchased CD's are becoming more 'attractive' to convince the consumers to buy it. (E.g Katy Perry's scented CDs.)

Research: One of my favorite Music Videos: Analysis

4 Minute - Hot Issue

I chose to analyse a k-pop music video as its one of my favorite songs and I feel there is technical skills and mise-en-scene I can consider to use. Firstly, I love the theme of the music video. Its got a catchy beat which reflects in the editing (which follows Vernallis's theory of edits corresponding with track). Also, there is alot of lighting used, to make the music video more attractive. Considering the group are all female, it highlights the fact that 'girls want to have fun' and the funky colours, mise-en-scene and  lighting help to expose this. Dance is a main part of this video ( which follows the theory of Andrew Goodwin's on Illustration), as it adds energy to the performance and music video as a whole. Furthermore, I like the fact that the music video is done indoors - in a studio, but still have different scenes. Overall, the music video is striking, very bright and energetic. Perfect ingredients for an effective music video - which I will consider in my own music video.

Planning: Skills Audit

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Planning: State of the music industry

Media studies on Prezi

Planning: Analysing a previous A2 music video

As we will be creating our own music videos, I began analysing some previous music videos from last year, to see how my final outcome could possible look like. I came across a remake to “Feel So Close” by Calvin Harris, which used the structure of disjuncture, as the music video as a whole had no connection with the lyrics. Firstly, what I found was their version had a burst of colours present throughout the entire footage, making it exciting and vibrant; the costume of the main singer also used colour, making him stand out against the backdrop.  What I like most about this music video is the creativity, in ways of them incorporating their own artistic abilities to fit the nature of the song. Also, the use of different paint reinforces the vibrancy of colours. Their music video is aimed at young adults, and opposes the negative stereotypes of teenagers by showing them in a positive light. Furthermore, I found that this group used a lot of footage of different things, and it came together really well without confusing the viewer; they managed to use a wide variety of camera angles as well. These different shots are also in sync with the beat of the song, changing every time the beat changes.

The setting of the song has been placed in numerous locations, a skate park, dance studio, art room and also used a green screen, I think it works well with their song because it’s fast and moves quickly to another shot. In comparison to the original music video, they also use disjuncture and present a fun and lively atmosphere. However, my only critique for this is that the dance scene could have been shot better, as not all the camera angles were framed very well. Despite this, the song almost encourages the audience to join in as it is of dance-pop genre. 

Here are some still from a previous A2 Music Video, which presents a burst of different colours to add to the exciting atmosphere of the song

Planning: Laura Mulvey

Laura Mulvey identifies that music videos portray women as dismembered, by only showing parts of their body to impress the male audience. Women are usually presented as objects in RnB type videos. The music video, “Holiday” by Dizzee Rascal shown below is evidence of Mulvey’s statement, where the singer is surrounded by a bunch of women, and only glimpses of their body is shown. Mulvey introduces the idea of the male gaze, when in film men are more active while women are subjected to being passive.

The camera is shown to linger on the female body, and events which occur to women are largely presented in the context of a man's reaction to these events. I have found that many music videos sexualise the female body which has nothing to do with the video itself; in most occasions the female must experience the narrative by identification of the male, than herself. 

Planning: Carol Vernallis

Carol Vernallis studied editing and camerawork and summarised her own findings of what a music video appears to be. 

• She found that continuity editing is broken in order to draw attention to what is on the screen
• Jump cuts are often used 
• Edits are used to be obvious in terms of transitions and special effects
• A base track is the main part of the music video to give it structure and frequently appears throughout the music video
• Camera stays in sync with the music

An example of Vernallis's theory is the music video to Countdown by Beyonce, you will find many of her suggestions of what a music video should be are shown constantly in Beyonce's music video

Vernallis also identifies that many music videos stand out as disjuncture, when the music video has no connection to the lyrics of the song. 

Planning: Andrew Goodwin's theory on illustration, amplification and disjuncture

Andrew Goodwin identifies that traditional narrative analyses don’t apply to pop videos, the reasons behind this is because they approach narrative from a different angle as opposed to novels and films, this is because pop videos are built around songs, occasionally they use the singer both as a narrator and as a character, and the singer looks directly at the camera. Due to pop videos often relying on repetition of images, viewers become familiar with the genre and therefore have certain expectations. Pop songs regularly tend to end either with a climax or to a constant repetition before fading away. Songs and videos are known to have connections within three aspects these are: illustrations, amplification and disjuncture.

Illustration is the song’s lyrics being shown in a visual form, for instance “Fireflies” by Owl City. Whenever the singer sings the part “fireflies”, the word itself appears on a gadget.

While, amplification refers to new meanings being introduced that do not contradict with the lyrics by add layers of meanings. On the other hand, disjuncture is when the songs meaning is completely ignored and a whole new set of meanings are introduced, an example of this could be “Bad Romance” by Lady Gaga, as the entire music video contradicts the lyrics.

There are many conventions of a pop music video, some of which are how women are presented as objects of male desire. Many videos also try appeal to wide audiences without completely ignoring their core target audience. Many songs are actually written for particular movies, the most popular being “My Heart Will Go On” by Celine Dion from “Titanic”. 

Planning: What are the functions of a music video?

During media, our class made a list of what makes a music video; below I created a wordle which outlines

some of the many things are class nominated which is seen as important in a music video

Planning: Copyright Clearance

In the summer, I wrote to the record competencies to request permission to use the potential artists song. The previous track I was hoping on using was 'Bom Bom' by Sam and the Womp, and they have replied with an email stating I could use the track. I also sent a copyright clearance for Kate Nash song 'Foundations' which is our final song choice as we have come to that decision as a group.

Reflecting back on AS year

What I learnt duing AS year from zaiba1995

Reflecting back on AS year

For our A2 taster, our task was to choose a music video we wanted to remake in which my group did "Baby one more time", a song sung by Britney Spears. My group decided to remake the first minute of the music video, with Britney sitting in her classroom and the bell goes of, identifying that school's over.

http://www.summerworkprojects12.blogspot.co.uk/2012/06/hit-me-baby-one-more-time-fabiolla.html

Firstly, the problems with our remake was that we didn't have enough time to capture enough footage, so we couldn't fit the length of one minute, instead our music video only lasted 19 seconds. What I have learnt from this is that to film a music video, we need to film a lot of footage as many shots will be erased and some cut. Another weakness in our music video is we didn't film a variety of different camera angles, if we had more close ups we could have portrayed the boredom on the student's faces, which would emphasise how eager they are until school is over. Another weakness found in my music video was the mise en scene, not all students were wearing uniform, only the main character was.

However, the three things I did like about our remake was how the sound was in sync with the music. Also, we had a good setting, because we are college students and the music video itself was filmed in a school; it made it easier on us because we had an appropriate setting. I also liked how the shots match the footage from the original, as we got the foot tapping Britney Spears did and the close up of the clock, for eg:

SHOE TAPPING

SITTING IN CLASS

CLOCK 

TEACHER

Reflecting back on the AS year

The link below is our A2 taster remake music video to "Baby one more time"

http://www.summerworkprojects12.blogspot.co.uk/2012/06/hit-me-baby-one-more-time-fabiolla.html

Research: So what makes a good music videos? The basics!

Research: Previous Student Video Review

http://vimeo.com/32960645

The main thing I particularly like about this music video is that it oozes quirkiness.  The music video mainly demonstrates the ideas portrayed by Carol Vernallis in terms edits.  It uses the simplicity of the costume change and location –alongside with the advanced use of edits and a verity of camera shots.

According to Laura Mulvey's theory, representation of genders are always included in music videos. In the A2 music video, the targeted audience is older teens because the main characters are also older teens.  Furthermore, the theory based on Andrew Goodwin also relates to this music video. For example, the video uses disjunction. The lyrics do not contradict the music video; which I thin works better, as typical 'relationship scenes' are outdated and cliche. So therefore, by using  simple locations, costume change and quick paced edits, its makes the music video more effective.

It just shows that a successful music video does not have to be extremely expensive with the props and the location etc; instead, linking the theme with appropriate costume and location will be more than enough. In making my own music video with my group, I want to in-cooperate quirky/vintage mise- en-scene and related locations as the music choice I'm after is very quirky and comic style.

Research: LAURA MULVEY’S THEORY

Laura Mulvey’s theory of representation is based on gender and covers the way Music Videos represent gender, in terms of the stereotypical image and persona. The way women are portrayed in the music industry reflects on how individual think a typical women is like. The general stereotypical image of a woman would be wearing tight clothes, that shows of her womanly parts (e.g. Breasts, bum etc), elegant and well dressed. The persona of a stereotypical woman would be that she is dependant on her spouse and passive.

Her quote is:

“In a world ordered by sexual imbalance, pleasure in looking has been split between active-male and passive-female. The determining male gaze projects its fantasy onto the female figure which is styled accordingly.”

I re-wrote the quote so that it would be clearer and easier to understand on her theory on gender representation. My quote is:

“In a world with male and female inequality, the dominant gender (male) takes advantage of this inequality and recreates an image that suits them e.g. a strong and governing man and a weak an unreceptive women. The existence of women is only to please men.”

By women acting passive and obtaining the stereotypical image, they assume they would maintain a male audience. Even if the majority of the fan base is female, they will still have the mentality to think about the artist being desirable if they were male. 

The 'Mouline Rouge' video is a clear example of the way women are represented in the media. It is a projection of the male gaze. Some example of the 'male gaze' is incorporated in the music video which I will point out:

. When Missy Elliot is presenting the 'show' at the beginning of the music video, the hidden message behind this is that women  can still maintain the attention of others (male and female) and still have authority - only if they use their bodies (even though the women in the video are acting like 'night club dancers' and passive.)

. There is  'adult content' in the video ( e.g distinctive lingerie, romantic mise -en scene) which portrays the stereotypical image of a women in the media. These elements help create the 'Mouline Rouge' theme and create a striking and memorable music video.  

. There are wide shots used, to 'show off ' the bodies of these artists - also help to keep the audience's attention, male and female.

. Their bodies are dismembered at times (close up of Mya 's bum)  , which reflects a women focus and obsession with specific parts of their bodies). As the female artists show of their bodies to the audience, the reaction of the female audience is to compare and judge their own bodies.  The reaction to the male audience   will be a reflection of the 'male gaze'.

.

Research: CAROL VERNALLIS THEORY

Music videos are the key elements in the music industry, if not the most important. Music videos enable the audience to see another side to the artist, and allow the artist to promote a song through visual elements. A study, conducted by Carol Vernallis, includes valid points in the way music videos are constructed in terms of editing and camera work. Her studies contrast with the way TV dramas are edited and highlight these differences; there is always a unique meaning to why the processes of creating a music video and creating a TV drama differ highly.

Some of these main points of a MUSIC VIDEO include:

. Editing usually found in classic broadcast fiction is broken in order to draw attention what is on screen.

. Jump Cuts are often used to contradict the pace of the song, and keep the audience engaged.

.Special effects in music videos such as split screen, swipe help to make the MV more attractive and draw attention, keep the audience ‘glued’ to the MV.

.Music video ALWAYS breaks the fourth wall, which is VITAL to create a rapport with the audience.

Main points in the way TV DRAMA is constructed:

. Edits are less frequent, so that audience can take into account what is going on.

. TV dramas HARDLY break the fourth wall as it will loose on realism. How ever if they do in some circumstances, it will only be for a very short period of time and for humor. Maintaining realism is a key element in TV drama.

. No base track is required, as TV dramas reflect ‘real life’. In real life, you do not go back to the same place and repeat what you said. There is no specific structure.

.Jump cuts may be used to highlight a fight scene, but it is never used throughout.Fresh Prince of Bel -Air.

Research: Andrew Goodwin's Theory

Andrew Goodwin's theory is based on the way pop videos are created. He says that pop videos 'approach narrative from a different angle' from novel and films. The three categories illustration, amplification and disjunction highlight the different way in which pop music video can be approached. Here are the examples of Goodwin's theory.

Example of illustration:

Dance is strongly used in this music video to express the message portrayed in the lyrics. Some of the lyrics read, “Who run the world? Girls!” and “disrespect us, no they won’t". Beyonce is trying to show that she is angry of the way women are being treated:

.With no respect

.Only to ‘worship’ her spouse

.Negative labeling (e.g. hoes, slags)

Because this song has a strong meaning behind it, there must be strong imagery that would reflect the lyrics and theme of the song. By doing so, she leads an army of women to challenge the army of men (0.40min+) – who represent the patriarchal society. She also tries to seduce the men by licking the tip of her finger, in order to back- fire and gain in control, as it will be the only way they will notice her (2.19min +).

Example of Disjuncture

This video is a perfect example of disjunction. The context of the song  contrasts with the music video. It would be hard to try and amplify the lyrics and turn it into an amplification music video as there is no set meaning to the song. In otherwords, the lyrics do not have a strong meaning like ‘Run The World” by  Beyonce, so therefore realy on visuale text to create a stronger piece.

 Futhermore, the use of the ‘cheerleader’ theme is to appeal to a teen audience. This will allow a significant fan base in this target audience without alienating them, and make Madonna more popular again.

Example of Amplification:

There are many interesting meanings embedded in the music video. The hidden meaning will not be found via the lyrics; so therefore, the music video helps expose the true meaning of “Big Hoops”. The general meaning of the song is seeking to be different and she is indifferent to others who will judge her because of her choice.  Also, in the title  Big Hoops (The bigger the better) , the meaning behind it is: the bigger the ego (which is represented by the hoops), the better she will be. 

There is an Native American lady wearing Native American clothes. The costume is very bold and striking. This helps add layer of meaning of the fact of her desire to be controversial.  This shot could also show her love of diversity and culture because each culture around the world is unique.

When Nelly Furtado is the same size and the sky scrapers (3:17min +), this is to create surrealism – which is the only way in she will get her point across. Her point, in this concept is to portray that she wants to be different from everyone else. In doing show, she must go to the extreme to find her own identity.

Research: Skills developed in AS - & moving it to A2!

Over the past AS year, there were numerous skills that I have learnt, in which I will take on bored to A2 and create a music video that will show of my skills in terms of representation, editing, sound work and camera work. Here are some example of the skill I have learnt during my brilliant time in AS media! 

AS media was the fist year I have started using Final Cut Pro. At first, it was complicated and took time for me to get used to cutting and pasting visual element and making sure there were no gaps in the timeline. The program has enhanced my ICT skills in terms of editing and placing  videos against one another. Furthermore, It allowed me to think about how the music video sections would work best chronologically.

  I have never used a professional filming camera before, so the experience I had was very useful. The experience inluded learning about different camera shots (e.g long shot, closeup, two shot etc.) and how to film it in order to  produce a stable and professional shot. This has given me exciting new ideas in ways to film the music video and experiment with the shots.

Sound was one of the most important fragments of creating the Thriller, although at the time I didn't think it was as important. Soundtrack pro allowed me to use various chilling instrumental and put it together without sounding like separate music tracks. Following on, in AS, I have also learned the most vital element to sound- syncing he music so that it matches the scene.  In the A2 year, there will be alot of syncing, which has come to an advantage to me.

Research: Comparisons: AS Music Video & A2 Student Work

After conducting the summer lesson assignment, I wanted to compare with one of the A2 music videos. I have decided to do this comparison to see what technical areas I need to work on  so that I can produce a better and more professionally advanced music video. The video I will compare is 'Cha Cha Slide' and an A2 music video on Hall Of Fame.

The main similarities of these two music videos is that they both rely on simplicity on location and props to make the music video more effective.

For e.g both videos:

.Are filmed outside, with a scenery behind them.

.Use a motif - Cha Cha slide - Dance routine
A2 Music Video - Guitar

.Two shot used -One of which Is the main singer, the other one is a 'back up' singer/musician

However, there are some noticeable differences between the two music video. One significant difference is that the edits on the A2 music video is much more frequent - and it does correspond with the rhythmn of the track. This makes the music video more 'exciting' and intreeging towards the audience. It also keeps the audience viewing the music video - as every 2 seconds, or even below that,  there's a change of scene. The 'Cha Cha Slide'  video lacks speed and frequent edits.

Research: AS Summer Lessons: Music Video

http://summerworkprojects12.blogspot.co.uk/

During the last lessons of AS Media Studies, we had a taster of what A2 Media would be like. One of which was to produce a re-make of the selected song choices  from the blog, and practice using base tracks. Base tracks is an important part of constructing a music video as it gives it structure. The music video I will be analysing is 'Cha Cha Slide' performed by Nancy and Ipeck.

The strengths of this music video:

. Base tracks are used well 

.Song track is well synced 

.Visual images is well framed by the filming camera 

.The location varies

.The simplicity of the music video makes it more effective

The weaknesses of this music video :

. Jump cuts are less frequent

. Edits do not correspond the rhythmn of the music

.No obvious edits used - which is supposed to attract the audience.

Research: Summarise what you have learnt about the state of the music industry in 2012

Music Industry in 2012:

• Music industry losing money through illegal downloads
• Artist and record companies making money through touring
• 360 degree deals
• Merchandising 
• Brand endorsements
• Topshop and h&m deals etc
• Perfume
• Advert deals
• Niche audience limited edition high price releases

Research: Review your favourite student previous music video

Review on past student’s work

I am reviewing the student music video, which is made by Jem, Zakariya, Courtney and Fuzail. The genre for this video, I assume, would be pop/indie because it is simple, there isn’t much going on and it’s just two band members playing the guitar. There isn’t really a narrative structure to this video since it is mainly filmed in 3 different locations, but it has a clear structure. The structure of this video is the two guys playing guitars in the different locations wearing costumes that don’t really go with their background (well. That was their aim). I don’t really think that part of the music video came across to the audience very well.

However, their editing skills were really strong. Majority of their edits went in time to the beat of the music, and it fits the change in the songs. They also included effects that suited a particular part of the song. For example, on the bridge of the song where it was an instrumental, they added a four /split screen into their music video to give it more a quirky feel to suit their chosen genre. There were also some wipes alongside the four split screens for the bridge.

The lip singing in the music video was done really well, as it looked like they were actually singing. I t showed how well planned and prepared they were for their coursework. I also think the lighting for the music video reflects the song as well, it is bright yet looks natural (maybe it was?).

Overall, I thought the video was really good for students work and it deserved the full marks it got (40 marks).